5 Pointers to Help You Choose the Right Tools

Getting the maximum benefit from your eLearning tools for your organization is an important factor. Here are 5 key points to guide you in choosing the right tools.

1. Objective
   Do you want to produce rich content with quizzes, questions, etc.? Then a rapid authoring tool is your solution. Leading authoring tools accept audio, video and flash animation files. With a little stretch of imagination and skill you can commission and integrate rich media into your eLearning courseware. The more ambitious you are about course presentation, the more advanced your authoring tool needs to be.
2. Time involved
   The time you will take to train employees to use the tool, course creation period and when you actually start using the tool – all these need to be carefully analysed. Also, if someone quits the job mid-way, the replacement should be able to take over easily.
3. Compatibility
   Be sure of what file types and formatting you will be using for your course materials. Then find out if the preferred authoring tool supports these file types.
4. Skill level
   Is it easy to use? Considering the long familiarization period of sophisticated tools, you need to consider the time involved in training the new authors to use the tool before you make your choice.
5. Mode of delivery
   Are you planning to provide courses as CDs, as websites, using intranet, or on a Learning Management System? Your authoring tool should be able to support the platform you will be using for your eLearning course.

Tips on eLearning Course Creation

Following are a few points to consider while creating an eLearning course:

1. The basic rule of eLearning courses is keeping the fonts simple. Remember that the font you choose must be on the user's computer system or a substitute font will be used, disrupting content flow, clarity and organization. TIP: sans serif fonts like Arial and Helvetica are easier to read on screen. Arial is a font that is most likely to be available to everyone.
2. Break down material into manageable sections, which students can get through in 30 minutes or less.
3. Contrasting colors for backgrounds and fonts are easy on the eyes. Overuse of complex colors, such as gradients, saturations, tints, etc. may slow the program down and be a strain to read.
4. Consistency in the quality of your graphics, videos and audios will enhance the performance of your authoring tool.
5. Using multimedia simply for the sake of using it will slacken the objective of the course. Make sure that the media you use applies to the training in a logical manner and reinforces the information.
6. Incorporating interactive sessions and other such elements will help to better involve the trainee. However, make sure that such activities build upon the message rather than detract from it.
7. Users should be able to intuitively use the navigation tools. Provide links to online help, glossaries, references, and access to community discussions.
8. Blended learning environment – ELearning may prove to be stressful if users are more accustomed to traditional learning methods. But that’s no reason to refrain from using eLearning, as the blended learning option makes teaching easier. You can combine the usual classroom training with eLearning, making it easier to provide training.

Benefits of eLearning

eLearning has definite benefits over traditional classroom training. The most obvious are ease of access and cost savings from not having to travel or spend excess time away from work. Others are:

Cost effective - eLearning is virtually free once you reach the breakeven point. It certainly will have continued costs associated with managing the learners, courses etc, but will still be lower than traditional classroom training.

Self paced - As most eLearning programs can be taken at one’s convenience. The learner can choose to study and absorb the material in parts before moving on to the next section of the course.

Faster - The individualized approach allows learners to skip material they already know and understand and move onto the issues they need training on. Hence it is faster than traditional method of training.

Easy Access – giving e-Learners easier access to courses and greater flexibility in timing. This benefit enables learners who previously could not fit it into their schedules to adopt eLearning.

Effective learning and a stronger grasp on the subject – because of the many elements fused with eLearning to reinforce the message, such as video, audio, quizzes, interactions, forums, etc. There is also the option of revisiting or replaying sections of the training that might not have been clear the first time around.